Capture Me If You Can
by sunlightshadow
Summary: The mission was simple: protect 16 year old Riku Katashi from being kidnapped and harmed by the infamous Organization XIII, but add in a little drama, love, friendship, and betrayal, and you've got quite a big mess. Riku X OC
1. Prologue: Show Time

**Alright so this is my new story (and second one I've ever made) and, before you start reading, I'd like to point out that the main character here is an OC, and she is also the main character in my other story; Is This What It's Like To Live?, so if you read about her there, she's basically the same here, or if you like her **_**here**_**, you might want to check her out **_**there**_**.**

**So the basic idea of this story is three experienced female agents (it won't take you long to find out who) are assigned with protecting a teenager who attends Destiny Island Academy Boarding School, and they find themselves faced with the usual: life-threatening situations, weapons, hand-to-hand combat, that stuff. But then they get hit with the real wacky stuff, like: Boys, rumors, drama, friends, that sort of stuff. So it's a lot like a reality check.**

**Warning This Story Contains: Humor, No Yaoi whatsoever, Romance, Drama, Action, and Ass-kicking. If you find none of these genres interesting you may want to find another story.**

**Note to Is This What It's Like To Live? Fans: no, I'm no quitting my other story, but I had a sudden burst of inspiration and wanted to write this. I'll probably be a while on updating ITWILTL, at least until I can get this story up on its feet, but after that I'll do my best to balance both stories evenly!**

**Ok so enough of my blabbing go ahead and read the story!**

Ok, so the mission was simple. The digital voice of my phone told me that much as Cid's voice mail was finally being heard by its target.

_This mission is of the utmost importance…_

Yeah Cid, sounds like a big deal, too bad you say that every time.

_Your target is of the persona of a sixteen year old teen attending Destiny Islands Academy Boarding School…_

That's smart talk for saying 'I'm going to have to protect a snobby rich teenager who goes to a boarding school on Destiny Islands'.

_His name is Riku Katashi, a height of 6'0", and a weight of…enough to draw your attention…_

So he's tall and not fat, and that makes him attractive? Thanks Cid for knowing me oh so well

_He has shoulder-length silver hair that could be argued to be the color of gray or white. His eyes are an aquamarine and could be argued to be green or blue…_

Three reasons why I should care what his appearance could be _argued_ as? **1.** There **2.** Isn't **3.** A **4.** Reason. Yeah, I'm just an overachiever

_Prefers neutral colors and light blue…_

So that's what he'll be wearing…blah

_You will be escorted to the Academy's private island at 12:00 sharp on Sunday, from there out you will be on your own…_

Good, I was beginning to think you were going to just hold my hand on this one. Yeah, since I haven't perfectly executed a trillion and two other missions…oh but this is just unnecessary;

_You will arrive to find that you have been accepted as an exchange student at Destiny Islands Academy Boarding School._

Talk about being dropped in enemy territory without even a knife. Do I really need to go to school with a bunch of rich, snobby, assholes?

_You will not be the only agent member performing this mission; Agents K and N will be your partners, but due to security reasons we would ask that you keep your social distance from them. They will be asked to do the same._

Oh wow thanks Cid! Drop me off with my best friends and _don't let me acknowledge their existence._

_You should arrive at the airport on the Academy's island around 12:30…that's all. Best to luck of you, Agent L._

I snapped my phone shut and checked my phone; it was exactly 12:29. Just then my phone rang. I considered pressing Ignore when I saw who was calling, but I knew that would activate the explosive device in my phone, because if I didn't answer my phone I was 'dead' and anyone in possession of my phone had access to top secret government crap so my phone would blow itself up to hide the information. I answered

"I figured I should inform you that a member of the Academy's welcoming committee will be meeting you at the luggage terminal. He's a friend of your targets, so play nice." I smirked

"How you flatter me"

"That's all, best of luck Agent L, and if anyone innocent finds out about this mission I'm putting you in charge of killing them."

"Oh gee thanks, but just one question"

"What?"

"Why am I playing babysitter?" Cid cackled

"Because the top terrorist group in the world, Organization XIII, is planning on capturing him and using him to earn ransom money from his parents, giving them money to buy plenty of mass destruction weapons. That's why"

"I'll talk care of your precious little snob for you" I spit into the phone, hanging it up to Cid's laughter and sliding my gladiator heels back onto my feet. These shoes didn't have weapons built into them like my other footwear, but they were great for stomping on toes. I slipped my Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses onto the bridge of my nose, concealing my sparking blue orbs. I did my best to undo any wrinkles in my plaid skirt and straightened my white blazer, being sure that my matching plaid tie hadn't managed to escape from the shirt's collar. Finally I hand-brushed my blond hair, glad that the locks positioned themselves vertically and not in a frizzy mess.

Boarding school chic, haha. I picked up my blue and white Hollister bag and slung it over my shoulder before strutting down the private jet's aisle, getting a little bit of Drama Queen out of my system because something told me here in Snob Land I wasn't going to need that much, the amount I had left would suit me just fine.

Once I made it to the hallway between the plane and the airport I switched to a normal walk as I spotted a teen my age with messy/spiky brown-blond hair with light blue eyes holding a sign that said 'Lauren', like he was a limo driver waiting for a celebrity or something. I took a deep breath, and, while he was still out of my hearing range, I whispered

"_Show time."_

**So that's it for the prologue and the story will really kick off in the next chapter! Since it's the first chapter I'm not gonna expect a whole bunch of reviews, but if you liked the story, or even have some constructive criticism I'd really appreciate getting to hear because here, at the beginning of my story, is the easiest place to make corrections. So speak up! And I'll do my best to update soon! (like, tonight)**


	2. One For Each Of Us

**Ok so this is the complete version of the chapter, please enjy, I'm sorry about all the confusion regarding this chapter! And thank you for the reviews I've gotten already!**

_**Once I made it to the hallway between the plane and the airport I switched to a normal walk as I spotted a teen my age with messy/spiky brown-blond hair with light blue eyes holding a sign that said 'Lauren', like he was a limo driver waiting for a celebrity or something. I took a deep breath, and, while he was still out of my hearing range, I whispered**_

_**"**__**Show time."**_

_**Chapter 1:**_

_*Riku*_

"Hello there, my name's Roxas, and I'm a member of the Destiny Islands Academy Boarding School!" I held my hand out and smiled at the mirror which, in its own way, smiled back.

"Oh shut up Riku I don't sound like that" Roxas grunted, rolling his eyes and collapsing onto his bed.

"No I think you do, Riku and I have been around to meet two of the three new students today, and so far you've sounded pretty blonde" Sora piped up, his mouth full of a McDonald's milkshake. I nodded

"Three girls in one day…one for each of us right?" I grinned mischievously and winked at the mirror. So I was confident in my appearance, and it could come off as arrogance…believe me, I have a serious, sweet, caring side…it's just hibernating right now.

"I like the auburn haired girl" Sora said causing me and Roxas to blank-stare square at him until his face matched his bright red shirt.

"What? I do!" He squeaked, the wonders of puberty knocking his voice up an extra octave. I chuckled

"Well she's a pretty one…nope not your type" I grinned, tossing one of my French fries at him, which hit him right in one of his wide eyes. He immediately recoiled from the salt

"Dammit Riku! I don't want any of your effing fries! And how is a pretty girl not my type? I'm not that bad looking right?" Roxas and I held up our hands in a defensive manner

"Whoa man, we all love each other in this dorm but not like that" Roxas told him. I just grinned and helped myself to another fry. One of the best things about this place really was the food, especially if you were a sixteen year old guy. Restaurants pay quite a pretty penny to set up shop here in the land of the rich and soon-to-be-famous.

"Well back to the matter at hand, we have one mystery girl left and the blond chick…Namion was it?"

"Riku what kind of fucking name is Namion? It's Nami_ne_! And since you can't even remember her name I can't say you should get dibs on her" Roxas declared, covering his face with one of his pillows and plopping himself down on his bed, telling me it wasn't up for discussion. I frowned, unsatisfied.

Before I continue, let me explain what's going on here in RikuLand;

Now, Sora, Roxas, and I all share a dorm, which here at the Academy is really like a small house. Each 'dorm' had three bedrooms, a kitchen, and then a small area for just hanging out. Dorms were strictly either all guys or all girls, _no blending of the sexes_. Boo.

Now, coming from a 100% straight, into girls and all that jazz kind of guy, I suppose you could say Roxas and Sora were attractive to the female population based on how _they_react when they are around my friends. Now me? I know I do, I even have a miniature fan club kinda thing going on here, not that I really do much to encourage it. I mean it's nice, but these girls seem to think that just because they are in Riku Katashi's Official Fan Club, they were borne onto this Earth for _one purpose only_: to go out and eventually marry me. That's a little freaky for me.

Plus, I'm very picky about my girls. In fact, I've never actually dated anyone. I don't really mind, considering I'd rather have one happy relationship compared to one 'artificial' relationship.

Ah the 'a' word. Artificial. That was my word for things here. Or rather, the people here. The teacher's have Botox and plastic surgery, the girls are catty and shallow, and even some of the boys are pretty out there.

So, on day one, I found the two most down-to-Earth-a-lot-in-common-with-me guys, and made them my two best friends…Roxas and Sora, who were coincidentally cousins. Well whatdoya know?

Anyways, back to the conversation.

"But Roxas I _like Namine_." He lifted up his pillow enough to glare at me.

"Too bad!" then he hopped off his bed, leaving the pillow behind. "I gotta go meet the new girl." And with that he grabbed his coat and left the dorm.

"Hey look on the bright side man-so far today we've got two new girls who are pretty and down to Earth. So while we are on a streak maybe there'll be another one! Third time is the charm after all…maybe it'll be the charm for you." Sora gave me a light punch on the shoulder before loping off, probably after some sort of food that wasn't a French fry.

"Yeah, two great girls in one day, which means we are on a roll and will have another great girl here soon" I mumbled after Sora closed the door to our dorm "Or it could mean our luck's run out and we will just get another shallow, catty girl" Frowning, I headed off to take a quick run, hoping to sweat off my female issues.

_*Lauren*_

"Hello there, my name's Roxas, and I'm a member of the Destiny Island's Academy Boarding School!" Roxas said to me with a friendly smile, holding his hand, which I gently took in my own and shook politely. Now I was one of those weird people who decided who you were based on your handshake.

Roxas had a firm grip, but let go a bit early. Once our hands had separated I discreetly rubbed my fingers against my palm- a little sweaty. So this Roxas guy was…easy-going, friendly albeit a bit nervous and slightly timid about meeting the new girl.

"I'm Lauren" I chimed, smiling gently at him. He smiled back before turning and waving a hand for me to follow. While on our way to the luggage terminal he explained the basics of the Academy, which I already knew because of the intensive study I'm required to do before each mission about my target, his or her lifestyle, and their surrounding area, including hot spots and favorite hang out areas.

Basically he went over dorms (I would be staying with two other new girls…hmm I wonder who…sarcasm), how classes worked, and that kind of stuff.

"So each class is an hour long, and you have eight classes, including lunch" he droned as we approached the baggage claim. The alarm sounded that the bags would be rolling out, so I alternated my vision between the conveyor belt and Roxas.

"Classes are usually just referred to as first hour, second hour, third hour, you get the idea. Your schedule will be waiting for you back at you dorm in your room, each dorm has three rooms by the way…wait did I mention that?" He broke off, scratching his head curiously. I laughed

"Yes Roxas I do believe you've already said that" I told him just as a green and blue bag caught my eyes. I leaned over to pull my bag of the rack but Roxas put a slightly resistant hand on my shoulder.

"Let me get it for you, it looks kinda heavy" I just shook my head and heaved the bag off the rack before he could protest anymore.

"Wow…strong" Roxas muttered as I popped the extendable handle of my bag out and tipped my personalized bag onto its clear wheels.

"So we've got one of the school's limos taking us back to the Academy, oh and by the way at our Academy we have one hour classes which are usually called-

"Roxas. You've already told me that…a few times actually" He sighed and gave me a weary smile.

"Sorry, we don't get new students often and I'm not used to introducing someone new to the school, let alone three someones in one day.

"Don't worry about it; I'm just glad someone bothered to pick me up." I said as we reached the outside of the airport where a black limo was waiting. Roxas walked ahead of me and opened my door

"Well aren't you a gentleman?" I asked sweetly, sliding into the seat.

"Ha! Now you have to let me take your bag." Roxas said, winking at me before picking up my suitcase. I stuck my tongue out at him before closing my door in his face. The tinted windows gave me maybe half a minute's worth of time to panic.

Was I flirting with this guy? What classes do I have? Does he expect me to kiss him or pay him as a thank you? Or something worse? These windows are pretty dark…

I had never gone to an actual school. Kairi, Namine, and I were home-schooled by Cid's niece Aerith, who also worked for the government-paid-for top secret agent corporation I belonged to. Cid was the guy in charge of executing all our missions (by 'our' I mean me, Kairi, and Namine), and being sure we were trained properly before being sent into a new place. Aerith was in charge of educating us on more…solid subjects like math, science, world history, those sorts of things. Which meant I had never really gone to an actual school. My only comfort was neither had Kairi and Namine.

Once I had managed to recollect myself Roxas chose to slide onto the dark leather seat across from me, opening up a mini-fridge and offering me my choice of drink from a wide variety of bottles. I grabbed out a bottle of water and drained half of it easily.

Roxas opened his mouth to comment just as his phone rang. He held up hid hand indicating he'd be just a second before answering.

"Oh hey Riku!" Roxas greeted the caller casually, whereas my heart leaped into my throat. _Riku was the name of my target!_ Resting my head on my shoulder and closing my eyes I attempted to catch what my target, or _Riku_, was saying.

Unfortunately my attempt was in vain, and all I got was one half of the conversation, courtesy of Roxas. Listening quietly, I eventually dozed off.

_**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**_

"Hey Lauren! We are at the Academy, time to wake up." Roxas shook my shoulder gently, jolting me awake, and causing m to do my best not to karate chop him and break his nose like I trained.

"I'm up I'm up!" I excaimed, sitting up straight and quickly hand-combing my blond locks. Roxas smiled his approval before opening one of the limo door and slipping out, holding it open for me. I carefully stepped out of the car door and looked around, seeing immediately that my act started _**now.**_

Kids on campus within a thirty foot radius had stopped to gap at the new kid. I snootily tossing my hair, planting one heel on theconcrete and stepping out of the car with a superstar's dignity.

"Alright let's get this show on the road" I muttered to Roxas, spying a small group of guys gesturing at me and shoving each other. He noticed them and grinned at me. Refusing to let my embarrassment show, I lowered my sunglasses and winked at the boys, smiling slightly. Well, they absolutely loved that.

"You done now?" Roxas joked, hauling my suitcase out of the trunk. I nodded and took my suitcase from him, tilting it onto its wheels. He started off across the campus, towards the girl dorms, where my friends Namine and Kairi were...not that I was supposed to know that.

**_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_**

"Hi there! I'm Lauren!" I beamed, holding my hand otu and grinning at the two other girls in my dorm, which Roxas had explained was the Ace Of Spades dorm (each dorm was named after a card, thus: fifty-two dorms). The two girls turned in unison and stared at them, one an average height with a nice muscle build, pink lips that were in a pout, making them look even fuller than usual, and thin, straight auburn hair drifiting around her soft facial complexion, a small strand over one of her sparkling blue orbs.

The other girl was slightly shorter than the first, with a thinner, more fragile build (Not that she couldn't kill you with her thumbs), pale blond hair that fell around her untanned face, which possessed sparkling the eyes the color of topaz. She was one of those girls whose appearance gave them that flawless porcelain-doll sort of look.

"**_Lauren!_**" the two shrieked, hug-attacking me viciously. I stumbled back a bit form their sudden onslaught.

"Is this awesome or is this awesome?" Kairi exclaimed, stepping back, but jumping up in down.

"It's neither-i it's freaking amazing!" Namine corrected her matter-of-factly.

"Shall we?" I asked, grinning. they nodded and I pulled my iPod Touch out of my pocket and blasted our signature song, which was by a French-Canadien artist Marie-Mai (Since we all took French)

As the opening hip-hop music played, we all snatched the nearest microphone-like item, ready to sing until something made of glass shattered

_Je suis la premiere_

_La derniere_

_Le chaud et la froid_

_J'ai un coeur de pierre_

_Dans mes reves_

_Tu n'existes pas ah ah ah_

_Tu n'existes pas ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_Je suis un mystere_

_Solitaire la force de Troie_

_Je suis prisonniere de moi-meme_

_Mais jamais de toi ah ah ah_

_Mais jamais de toi ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_Rien ne me dechire_

_Rien ne vient a bout de moi_

_Je fais mes lois_

_Je decide_

_Si quelqu'un doit faire un choix_

_C'est moi ah ah ah_

_Rien ne glisse entre men doights ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_J'ai la conscience tranquille_

_Je vis un jour a la fois_

_Mon chemin je le dessine_

_Je le fais comme je le vois_

_Qu'on m'admire qu'on me deteste_

_J'ai le sourire colle aux levres ah ah ah_

_C'est moi ah ah ah_

_Il se brule a mes levres_

_Mais jemais longtemps_

_Car on ne jour pas de ruse_

_A mes sentiments en en en_

_A mes sentiments en en en (ah ah ah)_

_Rien ne me dechire_

_Rien ne vient a bout de moi_

_Je fais mes lois_

_Je decide_

_Si quelqu'un doit faire un choix_

_C'est moi ah ah ah_

_Rien ne glisse entre men doights ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_J'ai la conscience tranquille_

_Je vis un jour a la fois_

_Mon chemin je le dessine_

_Je le fais comme je le vois_

_ah ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_ah ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_(oh oh) yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_(oh oh) yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_Rien ne me dechire_

_Rien ne vient a bout de moi_

_Je fais mes lois_

_Je decide_

_Si quelqu'un doit faire un choix_

_C'est moi ah ah ah_

_Rien ne glisse entre men doights ah ah (ah ah ah)_

_J'ai la conscience tranquille_

_Je vis un jour a la fois_

_Mon chemin je le dessine_

_Je le fais comme je le vois_

_Qu'on m'admire qu'on me deteste_

_J'ai le sourire colle aux levres ah ah ah_

_C'est moi ah ah _

_C'est moi ah ah ah ah ah_

_Rien ne glisse entre mes doights ah ah_

_C'est moi ah ah ah ah ah_

_Rien ne glisse entre mes doights ah ah_

_C'est moi ah ah ah ah ah_

The music ended abruptly, and we all stopped our karaoke. Sure, we had no idea what the hell Marie-Mai was talking about, but the song had a nice beat and she had a really good voice, so we had adopted it as our song...like, the three of us.

"So what persona have you guys made for yourselves?" I asked, breathing somewhat hard. Sure they hadn't been here much longer than I had, only a few hours actually, but everyone knew first opinions were the ones that stuck with you.

"Well I was able to talk to Roxas pretty easily, but I pretty much avoided the eys of everyone else...the people here are so strange! I'm not used to being around non-agents" Namine explained, wringing her hands out, one of her signature habits of nervousness. I nodded and gestured with my head to Kairi.

"Well, like Namine, I managed to talk to Roxas pretty easily, and while we were on the way to my dorm a group of girls just came up to us and started talking. I guess I got along with them pretty well though..."

"Ok so we've got Namine, who people will see as shy at first but friendly overall, and Kairi, the social butterfly." Kairi and Namine both looked at each other before giggling at their social labels.

"What about you, Lauren?" Kairi asked me.

"I talked to Roxas, cracked a few jokes, and fell asleep in the limo"

"Slacker" Namine and Kairi said in unison, while I just laughed.

"You got that right! I'm the funny slacker everyone likes" I told them, proving my point by making them both laugh.

"Ok, ok we should probably go and unpack our suitcases, it looks like we'll be staying for a while" Kairi said, before heading back towards what I assumed was her room.

"Your room is in the far back" Namine pointed me in the right direction before heading off to her room. When I got to my room I saw that my room was painted a light green, which matched my complicated bed spread. The pattern was made of alternating rows, in Row one, the squares alternated from a light blue square with a brown circle inside to an off-white square with a green circle in the middle. In Row two, the squares alternated from a brown square with a light blue circle inside to a green square with an off-white circle in it. Then rows three, four, etc repeated the pattern. Other than that though, my room didn't really have anything in it, spare a dark mahogany dresser with a nice sized mirror over it, and a closet on the far right of the room, on the same wall as the door I entered through. On the opposite side of the room, there was a set of double doors which, after going through, I found out lead onto a nice sized balcony over looking the beach on the west of the island.

I was surprised to see that the sun was already setting. I was just about to head back into my room when I heard a series of high-pitched squeals coming from a group of girls almost directly beneath my balcony. I looked in the direction they were to see a tall, well-muscled teen who was shirtless running across the beach. His hair streamed out behind him, but I couldn't decipher the color because of the sunset. If I had to guess though, I would've gone with a silver of gray.

_Hmm...well he's attractive._ I headed back into my room

**Ok, so there is something wrong with this chapter and it keeps making the very first few lines and the very last few lines stay really close together (like it won't let me start a new paragraph) so if that showed up on your computer I'm really sorry, I tried to correct it but my laptop just keeps changing it back. Hopefully the quality of my next chapter will be better! Review please and I'll update soon!**


	3. Meeting Riku Katashi

**I'm back everyone, and thanks for sticking around for chapter two! Now that the story is really starting off, the chapters will be getting longer (hooray!) so hopefully they will occupy you guys for a bit longer. A special thanks to all my reviewers so far, especially KingdomOfMyHearts, I don't think I've ever gotten a review as long as yours, so thank you all very much. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**_I was surprised to see that the sun was already setting. I was just about to head back into my room when I heard a series of high-pitched squeals coming from a group of girls almost directly beneath my balcony. I looked in the direction they were to see a tall, well-muscled teen who was shirtless running across the beach. His hair streamed out behind him, but I couldn't decipher the color because of the sunset. If I had to guess though, I would've gone with a silver of gray._**

**_Hmm...well he's attractive. I headed back into my room_**

**Chapter Two: Meeting Riku Katashi**

_What I mean is, all I need is;_

_Just a little emotion_

'_Cause all I see is you not feelin'_

_And-_

My hand slammed down on the alarm, abruptly cutting off the Lights tune.

"Operation: protect Riku Katashi may begin" I told myself, sliding out of bed and striding over to my closet to pick out my ensemble for the day.

"Hmmm what to wear, what to wear" For this mission, I had decided I was done with trying to attract attention, I was going to demand it.

In the end I decided to go with a white shirt that showed my shoulders and had names of famous cities all over the world scrawled onto the shirt in black. Luckily I had a black tank top to go underneath. Finally I added a pair of shorts that went to mid-thigh with a large tear on the right leg (heaven forbid that my underwear was visible).

Next I headed into my bathroom (which, for a girl, was where the magic happened) I…brushed my teeth, cleaned my face, brushed my hair, straightened my hair, put on deodorant, put on mascara, and put on Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss. _Ta-freaking-da._

I checked the time and, deciding that, since I already knew where my classes were, I had enough time to stop by one of the Dr. Smoothie shops here and get, you got it, a medium banana berry with extra energy and stress-relief.

On my way out the door I yelled at Kairi and Namine to get their lazy asses out of bed and put on my sandals which had black straps criss-crossing over my feet. Finally I snatched my blue and white bag out of the kitchen and headed off, praying some crazy guy wasn't going to drag me into an abandoned classroom and rape me. I mean, that is what happens in high-school. _Right?_

At exactly 8:47, which was thirteen minutes before my first class, I took a large sip of my banana berry smoothie and checked my schedule to see which class I would be reporting to first, which would also serve as my homeroom.

_**Lauren Tsukiyomi**_ (A/N if anyone can tell me where I got that last name I'll give you a million dollars)

_**Hour Class Teacher**_

_**First French II Madame Lavier **_

_**Second Language Arts Mr. Nikaidou**_

_**Third Biology Mr. Skye**_

_**Fourth Geometry Mrs. Cloud**_

_**Fifth Lunch Homeroom**_

_**Sixth American History Mr. Ohio**_

_**Seventh Free Hour Homeroom**_

_**Eighth Volunteer Ms. Gracie**_

At the bottom of my schedule, a small note had been written;

Lauren Tsukiyomi will be attending Animal Services during her eighth hour for the remainder of the school year

Recalling what I had learned prior to the mission, eighth hour was when each student took part in either helping clean the school grounds, caring for injured wild animals (most of which had been carefully transported to our school because of the unique class), or took part in preparing fundraisers for the school, such as dances or beach barbeques.

_So I'll be taking care of animals huh?_ It was convenient really, considering I had always wanted a pet, but couldn't for obvious reasons, and had always had a soft spot for animals. Smiling to myself about my good fortune, I headed off to French class.

_*Riku*_

Heading to the north part of the school, where all the sophomore's classes were, I couldn't help but hope I would run into Namine. I mean, yes Roxas called her, yes I didn't care, and yes if we had five minutes of alone time Rox-ass didn't stand a chance.

Taking another sip of my iced mocha, which was my signature morning drink, I scanned the area for my petite blonde target…at least until my view was blocked by a different blonde.

"Hi Riku!" she perked right into my face, as usual having no regard my personal space. Before I could even greet her with my unenthusiastic 'hey', she leaned forward, slid her hands into the back pocket of my jeans, and kissed my cheek. After doing so, she rested her head on my chest for a moment, sighed, and then with drew her nasty self from me.

"Hi Rikku" I greeted her dully. Yes, her name was the feminine form of mine. No, that did not make her my soul mate, no matter how much she may think so. In fact, she believed that so strongly she had actually been the one in charge of creating the hell-borne fan club I have. Giggling and batting her long lashes at me she purred

"Oh Riku, try to hide your adorable enthusiasm." _Oh believe me Rikku, its hidden so well you'll never find it._

"Well I gotta go to French class so…bye" I turned and headed off the opposite direction of the clingy blonde.

"Oh pooey! You always have French! Like everyday!"

"I know Rikku, that's because it's my first class."

"Well schools over soon and then two of us can spend _every day_ together!" She chirped happily, running one of her sea foam green nails along my cheek. It took all my self control not to slap away her hand, I mean, who knows where that thing's been? Kissing me on the cheek once more, she skipped off to her first class which, most likely, was Slut 101.

"I've never wanted school to end less before in my life" I told myself quietly before walking off to my savior; French class.

Closing the French room's door behind me, I heard the oddest of high pitched yelps coming from behind the door. Quickly, I re-opened the door to see the new auburn haired girl standing there behind me, cradling her left hand, which I realized must have gotten stuck in the door when I tried to close it.

"Oh shit hey I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, tenderly taking her hand from her and examining it to be sure it wasn't broken. "Do you want me to run down to the clinic and get you an ice-pack?"

"No it's alright, just tell the teacher I'll be a bit late" Kairi told me before heading off. _Way to go Riku, injure someone before first hour even starts._

This time, with much more caution, I stepped into the class, preparing to close the door _slowly_. Then I caught another person coming this way out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see a girl I didn't know, which meant _this was the third new girl._

I was disappointed. The girl had on a loose shirt that showed off her shoulder s and bras straps, and a pair of shorts that were so torn they looked like they were about to fall off. Looks like the kind of girl Seifer's gang would be into. She ducked under my arm and entered the classroom, waving like people cared.

Unfortunately though, people did. Whether it was just their social radars or the fact that Hollister perfume turned up their snobby noses, every girl in the class turned around, which resulted in every boy, which resulted in noise, which resulted in the teacher noticing she had a stranger in her room. This resulted in me sulking off to my lone desk in the back corner of the room.

My corner was my space, the person who sat next to me left one week into the first semester, which meant I had an entire empty desk to just dump my stuff onto.

I dropped my bag into the empty chair before sitting down at my official desk, reclining the seat slightly with my foot and resting my arms behind my head. There was one empty seat in the room, which was in the front row, plenty far away from me. So the new girl could just go stay there and away from me.

"Why don't you take the seat next to Riku Katashi in the back, and the other new girl, Kairi you said? Can take the spot right here up front."

For some odd reason, I saw the girl's eyes flash with a sort of surprise when she heard who was seating next to her. Of course, my eyes probably had too. The girl trotted back to where I was and, like it didn't even matter, picked up my bag, sat down, and dropped my bag on the ground next to me.

"Hey!" I whisper-shouted (class had started, see), "My iPod and phone is in there!"

"Well why was it in my seat?" she asked with a come-on-you-idiot-think-before-you-speak look on her face.

"Nobody sat here until just now" I told her, doing my best to give her the same look she had given me.

She blinked "What's wrong with your face?"

"I'm allergic to stuck up blondes" I snapped. Sure, it was a little less than welcoming, but Rikku had already put me in a bad mood, and the hurting Kairi and getting my extra space taken away had just added to the frustration.

"Well good, I would've hated knowing I was the only one suffering" I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"I'm allergic to snobby douche bags like you." _Touché_

_*Lauren*_

"Ok so you'll never guess who I sit next to in homeroom" I told Kairi and Namine as we took our seats at one of the outdoor picnic tables for our fifth hour lunch period.

"Riku. I'm in your class, remember?" Kairi reminded me, pointing her fork at me.

"Kairi, don't ruin the story for those who haven't heard it yet" I told her, tearing off a piece of my breadstick and tossing it at her. She yelped and dropped her fork so she could catch the food before its buttery-ness touched her clothes. Namine giggled and ate a mouthful of her grilled cheese sandwich.

"Sitting next to the target huh? Cid will be proud" We all laughed lightly at that, since we knew that Cid never really displayed his emotions to anyone.

"So what's your homeroom like Nam? Its bad luck we aren't all together."

"It's more like…bittersweet" Namine said lightly, smiling mischievously and looking from me to Kairi.

"In my homeroom, I sit right in between Roxas and Sora" she announced, pointing the statement more towards Kairi, since last night we had officially decided Namine liked Roxas and Kairi liked Sora. And me? I wasn't looking for romance.

I ate my spaghetti and breadstick quietly for a few minutes while Kairi whined to Namine about how lucky the blonde was and Namine just shook her head and said repeatedly that the guys didn't really make a big deal out of sitting next to the new girl.

"So how _is_ our target anyways? Personality wise?" Kairi asked, and it took me a few moments to realize that I was once again part of the conversation.

"Oh…well, he's…"

"You _like_ him don't you?" Namine exclaimed, smiling and leaning in. _Now, I have to play this carefully. If I freak out and deny it straight away, they'll think I'm bluffing._

"Well, really he's…" The two other girls at the table waited anxiously, not even daring to chew, "He's really a snobby douche just like I expected from this sort of school" I finished, suddenly starving.

The other two members of the table just gaped at me with _do-not-comprehend_ looks on their faces.

"What?" I finally asked them, after the silence approached annoying. "It's not like you guys have met him yet!"

"Well actually, we've met him, along with Sora and Roxas." Now it was my turn to gap.

"What? When? And how?" Really, we had been together practically all of yesterday…well the whole time I was here we were together.

"Before you got here, Sora and Riku both showed up with Roxas when Kairi and I arrived here on the island" Namine informed me

"Huh. I wonder why I was ignored" I did my best to shrug it off, because really, it wasn't that big a deal. _So why did it bother me that my friends already had better intel?_

Just then the warning bell sounded, signaling the sophomores to finish up and head to their sixth hour class.

"Well, off to American History with Mr. Ohio" I announced, trying not to laugh at the teacher's name. I mean really, what other career option did he really have a chance at, given a last name like that?

"Oh I had him third hour! He's nice but he goes on and ooonnnn" Kairi said, groaning at the memory.

"Great" I said sarcastically, drawing the word out. My friends laughed before heading off to their next class.

(A/N the only reason I'm only including three classes in the chapter instead of just going through all of them is because these are really the only three that are going to matter)

I hate to admit it, but I got a little lost on my way to my last class of the day, which is Animal Services in Ms. Gracie's class. My pre-mission intellect had failed to inform me that this class took place out behind the school just a few minutes into the woods (the trail was marked with red trail markers which was good otherwise I never would've found that place).

Back in the wooded area I was greeted with a small area filled with packages of cat food and dog food and meals for all sorts of different animals, along with different tubs filled with bags and containers, rubber gloves and other sanitary items, and yet another tub was filled with what looked like cat litter, and had a small cup in it probably used for distributing the sandy stuff.

I sat my stuff down next to a pile of designer bags and book bags, wondering where the hell everyone else was. I grabbed a pair of rubber gloves, just in case, before heading further into the woods along a main trail, which I found out about a minute later veered off in several different ways. Thinking that I heard someone's voice down the trail to the far left, I headed off.

"Shh come on girl, I'm not gonna hurt you…there you go, good girl, easy now." A boy was bent over a small cage, his hands reaching into it to grab something I couldn't see. I didn't recognize him by voice, but the shockingly light colored hair gave it away.

"Riku?" I asked loudly.

"Gaah!" He exclaimed in surprise, jumping slightly, which caused the animal in the cage to snarl and skitter back from the entrance to the cage.

"Dammit!" Riku swore softly, cradling his arm and backing his arms out of the cage, locking the silver mesh door behind him. "What do you want?" He spat at me, pulling off his gloves and pressing a small cloth (probably meant for holding the mysterious animal) against the bleeding tear on his lower arm.

"I'm in this class and was just surprised to see you…what's in there anyways?"

"Well you're late; Ms. Gracie already assigned students to cages before heading up to the school to take care of something. Since you're new and I'm not, I guess I'll have to take care of you" he said, ignoring my question and glaring at me.

"Why don't you just direct me in the way of, I don't know, like the teacher's assistant or whoever she put in charge before she left? I bet they could take better care of me than you could" I hissed.

"Oh yes that's a great idea! Let me point you in the right direction!" Riku held out his pointer finger, waved it around for a few seconds, before pointing at himself.

"Meet the teacher's assistant" He smirked.

"I had absolutely no way of knowing that" I said defensively. Riku just put his hand down and smirked.

"Stay here while I go get a bandage for my arm. Oh and don't go near the cage. That injured lynx won't let anyone near it…except for me that is."

"Oh yes I can see that" I mocked, gesturing to his still-bleeding arm. Riku just rolled his eyes and stalked off. I listened to the sound of his feet against the trail as he headed away from me and, once I couldn't hear him anymore, took the few steps between me and the lynx cage, peering into it cautiously.

From what I could tell in the dim lighting of the metal box, the lynx was curled back in the corner, sporting a nasty red gash along its side. When it looked up to see me, it raised a quiet growl deep in its throat.

My curiosity getting the better of me, I slowly opened the cage's door and reached my hand in, murmuring soothing words to the creature.

It watched me warily as I slowly brought my hand closer and, once I was maybe to inches from its ear, the cat decided I was too close and snarled, trying to press itself further back into the cage. Nonetheless though, I kept on moving my hand closer to it, whispering my soft words just a little less softly until, finally, I managed to gently stroke the fur on its ear through my latex glove.

It tilted its nose up to sniff my hand before turning back to the cage wall. I continued stroking it gently, being sure not to touch its injured side.

"Now press this gently against the thing's side, it should help make the pain go away" Riku's voice whispered in my ear, his cool breath tickling the hair along the back of my neck.

I crossed my left arm across my side and took hold of a paper towel, damp with some form of clear medication, tugging it from Riku's hand. I switched the paper towel to my right hand, since that was the one the lynx was familiar with. I reached my towel-clad hand out and touched it against the creature's wound, which resulted in it hissing nastily, before relaxing its head back.

"I guess she likes you" Riku said into my ear and I, realizing he must practically be on top of me to get such perfect access to my ear, shrugged my shoulder up, bumping his chin. The shadow he had been casting over my body vanished, and the lynx's form momentarily vanished as I got readjusted to the sunlight.

Swabbing the poor animal's side just a few more gentle times, I whispered my farewell before backing my hand out of the cage, closing the door behind me.

"I guess maybe the lynx likes you" Riku said, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I guess so" I said with a laugh, sticking my tongue out at him. He just rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Oh come on!" I protested, "You have to admit that was a good job!"

"It wasn't bad…for a stuck up blonde."

"You're a snobby douche bag!" I shot back. Riku just chuckled softly

"Whatever" he said, turning and heading down the trail back towards the school.

"I still don't like you" I huffed, more to myself than him, stomping down the trail after him

**And there we go! Chapter two is complete! And it's the longest chapter in the story so far (not that that's saying much). So I wasn't quite sure how to end this, and just put a little humor into it. Yes, yes I know, the whole lynx scene was exactly realistic, but neither are teenage spies, and Riku and Lauren needed at least a little common ground! Anyways, thanks everyone who's reviewed so far. I've go five reviews on the story which is pretty good considering this is only the second chapter. I hope you liked the chapter (please review if you did) and I'll update soon!**


	4. Games and Secrets

**Hey everybody I'm back! (Oh. No.) Sorry this chapter took longer than expected to update, my week was waaay busier than I'd thought, and this chapter ended up going a few pages longer than planned. Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten already, and for my Is This What It's Like To Live? fans I'll probably be getting back to work on that story soon! I've got quite the chapter planned for you guys. Well, back to the story at hand, it starts out with a dream just so nobody gets confused. I don't think this story will exceed ten chapters, but we'll just have to see! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Oh and before I forget, I've decided to add Fury into the story! Okay go read the chapter!**

**One last thing, this isn't mentioned it the story, but the name of the company Namine, Lauren, and Kairi work for is called Kingdom Hearts. Okay that's all…really.**

The sound of the door closing was actually what woke me up. I blinked awake, squinting at the sunlight that poured into my room. The week had gone by in a blur, and it was the first Saturday I would spend at the Academy. I didn't quite have any new friends yet, but I had seen plenty of a mysterious blonde girl all but stalking Riku, and since he and I had first and last period together, I had come to notice she met up with him at the beginning and end of each day.

Rolling out of bed, I gave a huge yawn and stretched my arms out far.

"So he has a girlfriend, why do you care?" I asked myself, my voice a bit croaky and dry from sleep. I still felt a little fuzzy, and not quite ready to stand up and well, get ready. So, I regarded my dream from the previous night.

_Another dinner at the big table, I thought as I took another over-sized bite of mashed potatoes, struggling not to mix it into my hair._

"_Mommy, I don't like my hair! I want it shorter" I whined to my mother, who was sitting to the right of me._

"_It looks gorgeous sweetie, at least wear it long like that until after Christmas" my mom told me, sipping at her wine glass._

"_But whyyyy? I want it cut now!" My tiny eight year old arms crossed themselves over my flat chest._

"_There'll be pictures Ren, and we don't want anybody to mistake you for a little boy!" My dad said, using the nickname that I only let him call me._

"_I'm not a boy!"_

"_Not yet, but short hair might turn you into one!" He told me, shaking a finger at me playfully. I gasped my eyes wide._

"_I don't ever ever ever want to be a boy!" I exclaimed, causing my parents both to laugh. My mom came over and stood behind me, taking my blond hair and wrapping a small blue hair tie around it._

"_There, now you can eat in peace" she told me, gliding smoothly back to her seat._

"_Take that you stupid hair" I muttered to myself. I took a victorious, hair-free, bite of mashed potatoes. Then, suddenly, there was a huge bang coming from the front of the house, a sound like a window shattering into a million pieces, and then the sound of a door being kicked in._

_My parents immediately flew from their chairs_

"_How did they….?" My mom gasped in a scared voice._

"_Take Lauren, I'll handle this"_

"_Zack…" My mom grabbed my daddy's hand._

"_It'll be ok love, just take Lauren and __**go**__. I'll meet up with you" my parents looked at each other one last time before my mom grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stairs, and daddy ran towards the front._

"_Go on up sweetie, and be quick and quiet" my mother's words were short, like she had something else on her mind. I quickly ran up the stairs and my mom steered me into her room…into her and daddy's closet…through a small door behind all of daddy's suits?_

"_Now, this is very important and I need you to listen carefully" my mom said, kneeled before my short frame. Hot tears ran down my cheeks_

"_Where's daddy? Why did he run off?" I sobbed, and my mom pulled me into an embrace._

"_It's…like a game honey. A game of hide-and-seek, so we need to stay hidden here, and stay quiet so daddy can't find us. He went off to count, and now we have to wait until he finds us. But first you need to know the best ways to hide"_

_I took a deep breath, a game, ok, that sounded fun. After all, daddy had just gone to count, and he was very good at this game, so he would find us soon, and then we could all have some dessert._

"_Mommy and Daddy may be leaving for a while, very soon, so you need to remember to trust Kingdom Hearts, but never the Organization. Can you remember that?"_

"_Mommy I don't understand, how can you hide in a Kingdom of Hearts?" My mother ignored me and continued_

"_They may try to trick you, but tonight something is going to happen and you can't forget it. They'll make it hard for you to stay away from them, and make it hard to believe in yourself, but you must always remember who your enemy is, even if it's hard."_

"_Mommy…is the bad people here?" This was not a very fun game._

"_Yes my love, they came for you, but I'm going to keep you safe, and later tonight, if things are ok, maybe…we can go out for some ice cream" My mother smiled, and even though I was scared, I saw tears in her eyes and smiled back, for her sake._

_Neither of us heard the footsteps, the seekers coming to find us two hiders in this dangerous game._

"_They might try to make you different, and you'll have to be strong, but you must never forget who you are Lauren, do you hear me? Never forget your true self." My mother told me_

"_Mommy what do you-?_

_A deafening bang sounded through the small space, and my mother gasped before collapsing to the side, her eyes glassy._

"_MOMMY?" I shrieked, shaking her, trying to get her to look up at me and smile, saying it was a joke. I was done playing this game. The small door shot open, and a man with long blonde hair stepped in, only his head showing, the rest of his body covered in a dark cloak._

"_Help mommy!" I screamed at him, my mom still lying down. He smiled wickedly at me and grabbed the back of my shirt, picking me up and carrying me into my parents' room, dropping me on their bed._

"_Is this her?" His voice was high-pitched and curious. Much too curious._

"_Yes, that's her" A man's deep voice said, stepping over to me. His head was hidden behind a dark hood, but as he bent closer to me, I could see bright orange eyes. I whimpered_

"_Get away from me. Where's daddy?" The two men laughed._

"_He got what he deserved, now its time for you, the daughter of the two spies who killed our Superior, Xehanort, to get what you deserve. He withdrew a cylinder from his cloak, the shape edged with a long shiny point. I shrank from him, I didn't like needles._

"_I don't want to play this game anymore" I told him, my voice trembling. His smile grew, his bright eyes flashed._

"_Oh but my dear, we've only just begun" His stuck the needle into my wrist, ejecting a black substance into my arm. I could almost see it spreading through my veins._

"_We'll call you…Subject Zero" And with that they were gone. Pain wracked through my body, curling me up tight…until the searching fingers of darkness closed my lids and covered my eyes._

I shuddered, _weren't dreams supposed to be made up? Not parts of your memory? _I glanced at the marking on the inside of my upper-arm and sighed. A small blood red circle highlighted the point where that damned needle had entered my skin, and strands of the blackest black swirled up my arm to my shoulder where they faded out.

Shaking away the dream as best I could, I stumbled into the bathroom to see a note on my mirror.

**Get down the beach right now or else! -Love Nam and Kai.**

"Yeah right guys" I snorted before brushing my hair and putting on some deodorant. Since I was going to the beach it wouldn't make sense to out on mascara or straighten my hair, so I just tied up my blonde locks in a high ponytail and swiped on the some lip gloss. Lastly, I pulled on a blue with white polka-dotted string bikini and a pair of dark blue short shorts. I grabbed a pair of blue flip-flops, added a bottle of sunscreen and some sunglasses to an Aeropostale tote bag, and I was out the door.

_****_

"Hey guys!" I called out, waving the hand not holding my bag over my head. My friends, Sora, and Roxas turned and waved me over.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty" Kairi greeted sticking her tongue out at me.

"You must be Sora! Kairi told me all about your guys' date tomorrow night!" I beamed overenthusiastically at the spiky-haired brunette. He blinked in confusion and scratched the back of his head while Kairi turned a shade to rival her magenta bikini top and looked like she was going to faint of embarrassment.

"Hahaha teach you to mess with the sleepy one" I teased Kairi, poking her playfully. She _ugh_ed and hit my hand away. Sora, having gotten the joke, laughed along with the rest of us…except for Kairi that is.

"Speaking of sleepy ones…" Roxas said, looking past me. I turned and thanked all that was good that my agent training helped me deal with a sudden rush in adrenaline and the overload of emotions. I never said I liked Riku, _but_ I never said I _didn't_ think he had a nice body…

He stood there, looking slightly annoyed, in a pair of navy blue trunks with a white beach towel tucked under one muscular tricep.

"Why exactly did you set my alarm to blast Miley Cyrus at me?" The two other boys roared with laughter.

"It's not like anything else would get you out of bed on a Saturday" Sora pointed out, while Riku just glared at them.

"Sora I am going to mess your face up so bad that-

"Hi Riku!" Namine practically screamed, popping out from behind Kairi, obviously trying to avoid conflict. Riku smiled an odd little boy smile

"Hey Namine, hey Kairi, hey….eww"

"Gee thanks, it's nice to see you too douche" I shot back, rolling my eyes. Roxas chuckled nervously

"You weren't kidding when you said they don't get along" I heard him whisper nervously to Kairi. Riku opened his mouth to reply when Sora pointed his hand past Riku,

"Incoming!" Riku just sighed, closed his eyes, and groaned.

"Hi Riku!" Jeez if I thought I could be preppy, this girl was the cheerleading captain squared. She looked familiar though…

"Hi Rikku" The male one said…at least I think it's a male…

"Didja think about me last night? I know I thought about you!" The blonde cooed, invading Riku's personal bubble like they weren't surrounded by people. While the two of them got…re-acquainted, it finally hit me who she was;_ she was the girl I kept noticing Riku with before first hour and after eighth! _She was probably his girlfriend or something…at least she better be the way she was getting up in his business.

"Nice to you guys, Roxas, Sora" Rikku nodded at them after she had managed to satisfy herself…ick. "And who are you two…three?" She nodded, having to re-count. _Just freaking wow._

"I'm Kairi"

"Namine"

"Lauren…pleased to meet you" I said, pasting a big smile on my face like I didn't mind Riku was her boy toy. _No_, it wasn't because I had feelings for Riku, so get that smirk off your face. It's because I don't think girls should throw themselves all over guys like that and act so dependant on males to get us through life. _It's embarrassing_. Whatever, if Riku wanted to date the shallow girl just to get a little pleasure out of life then that was his own choice.

"Nice to meet you guys…oh you three are the new girls everyone's been talking about! How's the Academy been for you guys so far?" Rikku asked us, her hand obviously used to holding Riku's butt in public…._oooh I don't like her!_

"Well actually", Kairi blinked, surprised Rikku was actually interested in something other than Riku, "it's been a little hard to get used to, but i-

"So do you want to go grab something to eat with me? I'm starving but I'd miss you too much" Rikku said to the silver-hared teen, interrupting Kairi completely.

"Ok then biotch" I heard Kairi hiss behind me. I figured if I turned I would see Namine's little hands curled into shaking fists. None of the three of us were big on the way Rikku was draping herself over Riku. I don't know about me, but that boy would be getting some serious shit about this little scene from Kairi and Namine later today…_that is if Rikku ever leaves!_

"Well as much as I'd love to go grab a bite to eat with you Rikku," he paused; looking into Rikku's smiling face, "!" He snatched my hand before I could even react and dragged me across the beach in record time. Once we made it to the sidewalk parallel the beach Riku stopped his excessive dragging and slowed to a normal human pace, but still kept a grip on my wrist.

"Hey! I want to spend the day with my friends, not helping you avoid your girlfriend…or doing anything involving _you_ as a matter of fact" Riku just glanced down at me and frowned.

"Too bad for you then. Besides, we do need to check on Serah." Serah was the name we had given the lynx. Once Ms. Gracie had returned to the school she was 'impressed by how well the two of us worked together' and told us to remain partners and take care of the injured lynx. Lucky me.

"Fine fine, I'll do it for the lynx's sake" Riku chuckled and steered us towards the pathway behind the school that lead to the Animal Services classroom. "Hey Riku?"

"Hey yeah?"

"I would greatly appreciate having my hand back"

"Well in that case…" He slid his hand from my wrist to my hand, pulled it up to him, and kissed it lightly before bringing our hands back so they were facing the ground. "I'm not giving it back" I glared at him as we walked.

"You did that just to piss me off didn't you?"

"Yes, yes I did"

"I don't like you"

"I'd watch that mouth of yours or I might need to kiss that too." Well that shut me up.

_*Riku*_

"She seems to be in good shape, her stomach is healing nicely and there are no signs of infection. I can take care of her food if you don't mind going around the main building of the school and filling this bowl up with some fresh water. There's a collection of faucets that jut out from the building." I picked up the water bowl and held it out behind me. Once I felt Lauren's hands around it I let it go. She paid me with a slap on the back of the head.

"You're so bossy! Why don't _you_ go get Serah something to drink?"

"Because I don't want her to suffer anymore by being around you" Another slap on the back of the head. And footsteps heading away from me.

"She's not very nice is she?" I asked Serah. She growled slightly at me, tilting her head sideways. "I know, me getting hurt made me a little angry too" I gently patted her head before closing the cage and pulling out my iPod Touch. The whole island had free Wi-Fi for the students, so I might as well check my e-mail.

_****_

Twenty-five fan e-mails and five actual e-mails later, Lauren still wasn't back.

"I'm gonna go be sure the blonde isn't lost, okay?" I tucked my iPod into my back pocket and glanced at Serah. She made a small growling sound, which as I took as an 'okay then'. I jogged down the path until I reach the Academy. Heading around the left side of the building, I heard voices.

"Oh come on baby, just one time, I'll be nice I promise."

"Don't forget that you're sharing her Seif!"

"Yeah yeah yeah" I recognized the voices as two members of one of the school's nasty gangs. They were the druggies and the alcoholics. They were bad news. I peeked around the corner to see they had some girl backed against the wall, a water bowl in her hand.

"For the last time; _get the hell away from me_!" _Lauren!_

"You've got spunk little girl, I like it" Seifer stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her, cupping her butt. Suddenly Lauren's arm lashed out, punching him square in the nose. I could have sworn I heard her mutter "I warned you", but it must've just been my imagination.

Stumbling backwards, Seifer clutched his now-bleeding nose

"You little bitch!" He snarled, drawing his fist back to punch her. Almost calmly, Lauren ducked under Seifer's meaty fist, which collided with the school's brick wall.

"Son of a-

His voice was cut off was Lauren kicked her leg almost straight up, nailing him in the chin, snapping his head up. She kicked him hard right in the face, and he staggered back, falling over sideways. Rai, one of Seifer's two main side-kicks, ran up at Lauren, his hand pulled back for a punch. She dodged right swiftly, spinning on one foot so her back was to him. He charged up behind and she fluidly grabbed his fist from behind and flipping him over her, using his own momentum and weight against him. She clipped him on the side of the head quickly with her shoe before turning to Hayner, Seifer's other follower.

"I'll give you five seconds to run" she spat at him, but Hayner was never one known for smarts. He charged at her and Lauren simply ducked under his punch, knocked her foot into his stomach, which hit the air out of his lungs with an _oof! _She punched him in the jaw, sending him stumbling backwards, and finished it off with a fast kick to his nose. Hayner collapsed over into the heap of him and his two friends.

"Serves you right" Lauren said, dusting herself off. My jaw simply dropped as I realized Lauren had single-handedly just beaten up three boys who were two years older, two feet taller, and could make it onto a professional football team if they didn't spend so much time drinking and smoking.

Lauren picked up the water dish, filled it up at one of the faucets before turning to head back to where Serah was waiting. She saw me. We both froze.

The water dish clattered to the ground and Lauren was sprinting the opposite direction.

"Hey come back!" I ran after her as fast as I could, wanting to catch her and ask her what the hell that had been all about, and where she had learned that. I rounded the corner of the building and almost slammed into her. I stopped as fast as I could and she glared at me.

"Look. You don't tell anybody about what you saw and I don't throw you off a cliff. _Got it?" _

"Hey hey just calm it down alright?" I held my hands in front of me in a surrendering motion. "I wasn't planning on telling anybody, I just wanted to ask you where you learned that" She looked at me like I had grown another head.

"My parents paid for lessons when I was younger, that way if someone ever tried to hurt me I could stop them" She said it slowly, like she was trying to taste each word before it came out of her mouth.

I shrugged, "Fair enough, we should probably get out of here so that way when somebody finds those three we won't be nearby"

"Well let me just fill up Serah's water dish and we can just go hang out there. Plus everyone heard you stutter that you and I needed to go check on Serah so we have an alibi right there" I frowned at her  
"What?" She asked as we walked over to get Serah her water.

"I didn't stutter!"

"Oh you're right- you slurred"

"Did not!" She just laughed and turned the faucet on, sitting Serah's dish on the ground while water filled it up.

"What happened to your hand?" Lauren looked at the back of her palm where a small red scratch was.

"I'm not sure, let's just say Serah cut me" She told me with a smile. I nodded in agreement. Once the dish was full Lauren twisted the faucet off and I picked up the water bowl for her.

"Can I see your hand?" I asked, holding my free hand out. She cautiously laid her cold hand in my warmer one. I gripped it lightly and kissed it. Lauren gasped slightly

"Hey!" She tugged her hand back away from me

"Hahaha way to fall for that!" I laughed, shoving her lightly.

"I don't like you" She told me unhappily, wiping her hand on the back of her shorts.

"Good."

**Woo it's finally done and Lauren got to kick ass! And Riku got to flirt a little, so I guess everyone's happy…except for Rikku but that's ok! Sorry people who like Hayner and/or Rikku, I had to have a few bad characters in the story. I'm not quite sure what to put in the next chapter (nasty writer's block), so if anyone has an idea for just like, a filler chapter or something, I'm all ears! Once I have a good idea I'll update! Please review if you liked it! Oh and before I forget, be sure to remember Lauren's dream! It's important! Bye guys!**


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